Harlem born and bred rapper Dave East performed live at the Echoplex before a sold-out audience. Dave East, signed to rapper Nas label Mass Appeal Records, first stepped into the scene in 2014 from his mixtape Black Rose. East headed back on the road again for the ‘Get It How I Love It Tour’ which made a stop at the Echoplex in Echo Park, CA. Fresh off the release of his BELOVED joint project featuring NY rapper Styles P, East spits nothing but fire on the mic which led people screaming for more.
Everyone took out their cellphones and lit up the stage as East's raw lyricism and dark storytelling created a shock wave throughout the venue. East performed a couple of his joints like "NOBU," "LEVELIN UP" and "NO STYLIST" off his recent mixtape KARMA 2. It was definitely a night to remember, East puts on an unforgettable show.
Even though East continues to be one of the most underrated and underappreciated lyricists in the game, he continues to put out raw and real-life music for his true hip-hop fans to listen to.
It all started back in 2009, my brothers and I decided to move back to South Central, Los Angeles from the Inland Empire. Both my brothers attended music and film school in Hollywood. At the time I was working construction in Las Vegas for nearly one year, but I always knew I had a passion for photography, but didn’t know what or where to start shooting.
As soon as I finished working in Las Vegas, I saved up enough money to buy a Canon camera. A friend of mine who was a night club promoter at the time asked me to be a roaming photographer at his venue. I had little to no experience shooting anything or anyone, but I felt confident and plus I was a people person, so I knew both of those qualities would help me succeed in being a photographer. I was a club photographer for almost a year until I started meeting people and networking. Then eventually I met a club photographer who owned his own business shooting venues all over Southern California.
For the next five years, I was shooting many nightclubs in LA, OC, IE and the Valley, eventually booking my own gigs. I even shot at the RIO in Las Vegas on the weekends when I worked out there for three months. Additionally, I booked a local night club working Tuesday nights as a roaming photographer for almost three years. At the same time, I was shooting Tuesday nights at a radio station working for rapper Dub-C. So after working at the radio station, I would leave to shoot at the club at night…
But I always felt like I needed to do more and take it to the next level. I felt like I couldn’t possibly shoot night clubs forever. I eventually linked up with my brother who had been writing for Music Connection. And thus, I began shooting local concerts all over Los Angeles and nearby counties. I felt like this was my calling. Not only do I like shooting musicians I listen to, but occasionally, I get to meet them and network with people in the business as well. I love doing what I do, but I do not put all my eggs in one basket.
Aside from shooting clubs and concerts, I have organized photo shoots with models. I have shot many events including birthday parties, weddings, Quinceaneras and more. I feel as a photographer, I cannot stick to just one preference. I feel like I have to do it all and “NO” can’t be the answer. I believe my path may be difficult, but eventually, it will pay off.
